Anglesey, Wales

The Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Môn in Welsh) is situated off the north-west coast of Wales near the beautiful Snowdonia mountain range. It is separated from the mainland by the Menai Strait, which is spanned by two picturesque bridges, the Menai Bridge and the Britannia Bridge. Anglesey was known as Mam Cymru ('Mother of Wales') during the middle ages because its fertile fields formed the breadbasket for the north of Wales.

The name Anglesey is thought to have come from a Viking place name. In old Norse the -ey ending indicates an island named after a particular person (cf. Bardsey, Orkney, Ramsey, etc.). Anglesey is probably derived from "Ongl's ey", Ongl's island. Who Ongl was we have no idea. To see a BBC video clip about the origin of the name of Anglesey click here.

Anglesey Monopoly
The classic board game
with Anglesey placenames

Today it has several thriving towns. The historic town of Beaumaris is the site of one of the castles built by Edward I after his defeat of the Welsh princes, as well as the historic mansion Henllys Hall, now a hotel (see their pages for more on the history of Anglesey and Wales). The town of Holyhead, on Holy Island, is the main ferry port for travel across the Irish Sea to Dublin and Llangefni, in the centre of the island, is the county town. Kovach Computing Services (the host of this site) is located in the village of Pentraeth.

Anglesey also has the village with the longest place name in Britain: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (click here to hear it pronounced). The name, when translated into English, means "The church of St. Mary in a hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and near St. Tysilio's church by the red cave". The name was actually coined in the nineteenth century to attract tourists to the Island. It is abbreviated to Llanfairpwll or Llanfair P.G. by the locals.

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Other sites about Anglesey & North Wales:

BBC North West Wales (lots of news and information)
Anglesey Leisure (good, comprehensive guide to the island)
North Wales Index (most complete index of sites about North Wales)
Menter Môn (lots of information about Anglesey)
Anglesey Genealogy Resources
Anglesey Archives (county-run historical archives)
Beaumaris
Beaumaris Castle
Holyhead
Pentraeth
Parys Mountain Copper Mine
Anglesey County Council
Interactive Map of Anglesey
Welsh language course
BBC Welsh language course
North Wales Internet (lots of information about the area)
Wales Tourist Board
Amlwch
CAYW- Wales on the Web/Cymru ar y We
WorldWideWales.tv (online videos about Wales)
Wikipedia entry for Anglesey
Anglesey-Môn Info Web
Prosiect Menai (community project about the Menai Strait)
Anglesey Nature : Natur Môn
Forum Wales - A forum for those interested in Wales.
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
AngleseyArt.com - very interesting paintings of the landscapes and historical structures of Anglesey
Word Of Mouth - On-line version of the North Wales entertainment/lifestyle/culture magazine of the same name
Anglesey First Response Scheme - Charity of volunteers who assist the Ambulance service on Anglesey
Anglesey Hidden Gems - A site singing the praises of the island of Anglesey. A particularly good source of information about the beaches on the island.
Menai Bridge - town website
Aerial North Wales - Aerial views of the island and the rest of Norrth Wales
The Druid - Interesting blog about Anglesey current affairs and politics
Rivers of Wales - book about all aspects of Welsh rivers.
Traeth Bychan Harbour website - lots of information of interest to boat owners
Outdoor Active - adventure activity centre on Anglesey, includes rock climbing, kayaking, gorge scrambling, coasteering and more.
Ancient Footprints - Archaeological tours of Anglesey and Snowdonia